The Planet of Colors
by hellywellylovesdinosaurs
Summary: The Doctor and Rose find themselves in the Planet of Colors, but they don't expect to land right in the midst of the Festival of Nuptials! First try at writing DW Fanfiction, or any Fanfiction at all. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**The Doctor and Rose find themselves in the Planet of Colors, but they don't expect to land right in the midst of the Festival of Nuptials! First try at writing Fanfiction, or any Fanfiction at all. Please R&R!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. If I did, it wouldn't be as good as it was right now. **

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><p>"Well, wasn't nice?" The Doctor smiled down at Rose, who refused to return her signature tongue-through-the-teeth grin. Instead, she scowled at him, her golden hair dripping with water and her wet clothes clinging to her skin. Rose was not happy.<p>

"Nice?" Rose exasperatedly said," Nice? Doctor, I almost _drowned_ in a test tube."

"I did tell you the Oskarians were fanatic scientists, didn't I?"

"Well, you could've mentioned the fact that they're the size of department stores! I almost _drowned _ in a _test tube_!"

"Technically, it was a graduated cylinder," the Doctor corrected, not realizing the dam he'd just broken.

"I don't care if it was a bloody milk pail! I almost died!" Rose screeched, sounding a bit like her mother. The Doctor winced. He did feel a bit guilty about letting Rose fall into a giant cylinder of water the second they landed on Oskaria, but in his defense, he hadn't exactly perfected the parking of the Tardis.

"Sorry," the Doctor mumbled, before turning to the Tardis's control panel and fiddling with a few switches. Rose's face fell and she walked up to the Doctor, looping her arm around his.

"It's okay. I-I should've just been more careful, y'know?"

The Doctor gazed at Rose and smiled. Of all the humans in the world, she was the most extraordinary one he ever met. Their eyes lingered on each other's longer than any platonic relationship should have, and Rose quickly let her gaze drop.

"I'm going to go dry off," she said. The Doctor watched as Rose walked down the long corridor to her room.

The Doctor sighed and leaned against the Tardis wall. Of all the aliens in the universe, he had to fall in love with the young, upbeat one from 21st century London. Yes, the Doctor admitted it. To himself, at least. He was in love with Rose Marion Tyler. How could he not? He loved her beautiful golden hair, her flawless, smooth skin, and most of all, that wonderful smile of hers. It often took all of the Doctor's strength to stand his ground whenever Rose flashed him one of her gorgeous smiles.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. It seemed that no matter what he did to it, his hair would always look as if it were defying gravity.

"Ah, you're back," the Doctor said, straightening as Rose entered the room. She looked beautiful, as always. His hearts melted at the sight of Rose standing in front of him, her hair still damp.

"Doctor. You're staring." Rose tried to stop herself from laughing as the Doctor became red. He immediately averted his eyes from hers and itched the back of his neck. He always did that when he was embarrassed.

"Um, so where do you want to go next?" the Doctor asked, still keeping his eyes away from Rose's.

"Somewhere calm. Anyplace where we don't become a science experiment would be nice." Rose beamed at the Doctor, letting her tongue slip a bit out of her teeth.

"Ah-hah! I know the perfect place!" The Doctor eagerly turned a few knobs and pulled a lever. The Tardis began to whirr as the Doctor flicked a few switches and punched the coordinates into the computer screen above him.

"We are going to Heterica, best known as the Planet of Colors," the Doctor said excitedly. The Tardis landed with a thump and the Doctor crossed his arms over his chest. "Wanna take a look?"

"What do you mean by the Planet of C- Oh!" As Rose stepped out of the Tardis's blue doors, she gasped. Everything was covered in bright, loud colors. The trees, which looked more like big hairy lollipops, were bright, lemony yellow. The grass was a waxy pink that had a slight jounce with each step Rose took. In the distance, a city of brightly colored skyscrapers rose up to touch the beautiful apricot-colored sky.

"It's beautiful," Rose said as she shielded her eyes.

"You like it?" the Doctor asked, beaming. It felt nice whenever Rose felt particularly happy about something, especially if he'd helped.

"I love it! It looks like it came out of a Dr. Seuss book!" Rose said breathlessly.

"Well, Miss Tyler." The Doctor held his hand out to Rose. "May I give you the pleasure of a tour of the Planet of Colors?"

"You may," Rose said with a very posh accident. She fit her hand perfectly into the Doctor's and the two sped off into the direction of the colorful city.

"What is _that_?" Rose asked in wonder, pointing to a cart overflowing with vibrant fruits and vegetables.

"Oh, this?" The Doctor reached out and pulled a spherical fruit from the pile. It looked like any ordinary orange or peach, except for the fact that it was covered with tie-dyed colors.

"Is it… naturally colored?" Rose took the fruit from the Doctor's hand and examined it.

"Of course! It's called an Amborg. You know it's ripe when the patterns on its skin become different colors. Amborgs usually start out all blue and gray, but they slowly ripen and ripen until…" The Doctor gestured at the Amborg with a flourish of his hands and declared a very loud "Voila!"

"Can I… taste it?" Rose asked unsurely.

"Go ahead." The Doctor reached over the cart and handed the pea green alien some change found in his bigger-on-the-inside pockets.

"It tastes just like a watermelon!" Rose cried. She took another bite of the juicy fruit, small trickles of the sticky liquid already staining her fingers a bright green. She finished the Amborg in a few seconds and sucked her fingers dry.

"Shall we continue?" the Doctor asked, grinning. Rose merely nodded, still working at her left thumb. The Doctor slung his arm over Rose's shoulder and walked down the alien marketplace. The Hetericans shouted out their wares, urging customers to buy their products.

"Oh my goodness!" Rose suddenly said, pulling away from the Doctor and rushing to a nearby stall. The Doctor felt a sensation of emptiness in the spot where Rose had just been, but he shook it off and hurried after Rose.

"Oh, that?" the Doctor asked, not as curious as Rose was, "That's a Dromidoe."

"It looks like a giant, glowing, sea turtle!"

"The Dromidoe's biology is similar to a sea turtle's," the Doctor said, but Rose didn't seem to hear him. Instead, she reached over and felt the smooth back of the Dromidoe's shell. It was, in fact, much like a sea turtle, if you decided to leave out the fact that it was dark, Tardis blue and had rows of small, fluorescent spots going down its neck. Its shell was also covered in small, miniature volcanoes.

"Where did it get those?" Rose asked, pointing at the glowing dots. The Dromidoe raised a spotted head and lazily turned to Rose.

"Dromidoe shepherds let their animals graze in special seaweed beds. The underwater plant gives them those glowing dots on its neck," the Doctor explained.

"Is it some kind of farm animal?" Rose asked again, curious as ever. The Doctor smiled. He liked it when Rose asked him questions.

"It's a bit like a Heterican cow."

"It-it gives _milk_?" Rose asked incredulously.

"'Course not! Just watch." The Doctor rested his chin on Rose's soft, blonde hair. It smelled of lilac and blossoms. Rose didn't seem to care. Her entire focus was on the Heterican, who reached under her and took out a glass jar. She took a fruit from a small basket beside her and began squeezing its juices into the jar. Hetericans were born with very muscular fingers, so within a minute, her pink hands had emptied the fruit's liquid into the jar. Then, the alien tossed the fruit carcass into a wooden box beside her. The Heterian spooned a bit of brown cream into the jar, slipped its cap on, and began shaking the container furiously. After a minute or so, the alien took the jar's cap off with a resounding _pop _and poured its contents into one of the many craters on the Dromidoe's shell.

"What's she doing?" Rose asked.

"Wait and see."

As if on cue, the Dromidoe hiccupped and a three-foot tall geyser of liquid spewed from the Dromidoe's volcanoes. The Heterian whipped out a jug and artfully caught the spewing liquid into the container. Not a single drop of juice fell to the ground. The Doctor and Rose applauded as the Heterian blushed bright purple and handed two small cups of the liquid to the Doctor and Rose for them to sample.

"It tastes wonderful," Rose said happily. She downed the rest of the cup with one swing of her head. The Doctor, however, took a tiny sip and gave the rest to Rose.

"Tastes like blueberries. I hate blueberries," he said. Rose smiled and gulped the Doctor's sample quickly.

"You two! You two!" The Doctor and Rose whirled around to find a bright red florist waving at them. Liked other Hetericans, he looked pretty humanoid, so it was assumed that it was a 'he'. The Doctor and Rose walked up to the Heterican and his stall. He was selling flowers, and not just normal flowers. Flowers that opened and closed, flowers that glowed and sparkled, and even a few species that sang when tickled.

"Any flower of your choosing for only one Hetang," the Heterican proudly announced as Rose and the Doctor pored over the wonderful flowers. Their sweet aroma permeated the air.

"Oh, what's this one?" Rose asked, picking a flower that closely resembled a rose. The only difference was that when Rose stroked its petals, it turned from a peachy pink to a violent shade of crimson.

"That, m'lady, is the Treesap flower. Grown deep in the forests in the northern region. It's perfect for the concert tonight."

"The concert?"

The alien looked surprised at Rose's confusion. "Are you two not here for the Festival of Nuptials?"

"Oh, no we're just dropping by for a visit," the Doctor said dismissively.

"What's the Festival of Nuptials?" Rose asked, curious, as always.

"Oh, it comes every two years," the shopkeeper explained, "The Festival of Nuptials celebrates love. Foreigners from every part of the universe and beyond come as couples."

"So you get married here?"

"Oh no. In the ancient times, it was like that, but now, you can come as a couple to get married or just on a date. Why, four years ago, a man proposed to a woman at the festival!"

"You mentioned a concert earlier," the Doctor observed, "We love music. Perhaps you can tell us how to get tickets."

"Oh the concert is free," the shopkeeper said, waving his hand, "It's there in the town square. It's the biggest attraction at the festival. You won't miss it."

"Thank you so much… uh…"

"Ar'kedaninia. You may call me Arked."

"Thank you, Arked!" Rose gave the shopkeeper a handshake and scurried off in the direction of the square. The Doctor, however, lingered at the stall, taking flowers in his hands and scrutinizing them.

"Sir, you would like to buy a flower for your lady friend?" Arked asked.

"No, no," the Doctor hurriedly replied. He slipped a light blue tulip back into its container and took a step back. "I don't… no… it's alright. I better be catching up to her now."

"But sir," the shopkeeper said, "you cannot go to the concert without giving your love a flower, can you? It seems most gentlemanly of ways."

"You think so?" the Doctor asked, stepping forward once more. He trailed his fingers over the Treesap flower and watched its petals become blood red.

"Yes, sir. How about this? You do not need to pay me for the Treesap flower." Arked began wrapping the flower up, ignoring the Doctor's protests. "But, I do ask you of a favor."

"What?"

"Give this to that lady friend of yours," Arked said, winking, "I am sure she will love it."

The Doctor hesitated for a bit, but then, with a quick swipe of his hand, he snatched the flower from the Arked's hands, thanked the shopkeeper profusely, and ran away in the direction of the town square.

"There you are!" Rose said as the Doctor caught up to her retreating form, "I was beginning to think you'd gone back to the Tardis and forgotten me."

"Rose Tyler, you know I'd never do that," the Doctor said, feeling offended.

"Of course not," she said, but the Doctor couldn't help but give him small reprimands in his head as he and Rose neared the crowd of concertgoers. _She's remembering that time you left her on the abandoned spaceship_, he thought angrily, _Now look what you've done_.

"Here's a good seat," Rose said. She sat down on the grass and pulled a few pink blades of grass from the ground to examine. The whole time, the Doctor kept his eyes on her. The Treesap flower was inside his coat pocket, waiting to be given to Rose. It weighed him down. He intended on fulfilling the Heterican florist's request, but at the sight of Rose actually sitting next to him, he faltered and fluttered his hands around his pockets.

"Doctor, it's beginning," Rose urged, grasping the Doctor's upper arm and pulling him out of his pondering. He smiled at her excitement. He smiled at a lot of Rose-related quirks.

As the musicians took the enormous stage, the crowd of aliens hushed until only the soft murmur of the wind could be heard. The orchestra was mostly made up of earthly instruments. The conductor muttered a few words of encouragement to his ensemble and then, with a flick of his baton, the concert began.

The song began with a lone, wooden flute. The musician was a female Heterican in a black tunic. She swayed to her solo, and suddenly, liquid began to spill out of her instrument. The Heterican did not hesitate, but her eyes sparkled at the audience's sharp intake of breath. The liquid, instead of spilling upon the floor, lazily drifted up to the air like dish soap in water. It was silver, quite like the outside of a helicopter. As the liquid drifted up to the sky, it began to fizzle into dust that disappeared into the night sky before meeting the awed faces of the audience. The Heterican finished her solo and was awarded with appreciative applause.

At once, the lower brass instruments began their turn. Unlike the flutists, their instruments released golden glob-like shapes. Their speed matched the music's urgency and the shapes shot into the sky at the speed of rockets, bursting at their height and raining golden dust into the air.

After one or two minutes of the lower brass playing, the woodwinds began. The clarinets threw bright yellow strings into the air that quickly shredded and became confetti. The lone oboe player sent green crescents into the sky that separated until they disappeared completely. The flute players, now a team, launched their silver liquid into the sky. A piccolo player let twinkling blue bubbles fly out the end of his instrument. The sky was ablaze with colors. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

The conductor let his baton hover in the air for a second, before languidly moving his pointer through the air. The trumpets and saxophones took on their cues, swinging to the same motion of their conductor. The trumpets spewed muted orange liquid that lazily licked its way into the air before softly falling down. The audience tilted their heads to catch a glimpse of the falling liquid, but the droplets had disappeared before they reached the people's impressed faces. The saxophones sent peach colored spheres over the audience's heads and into the distance. Nobody knew where they went.

The trumpets and saxophones carefully brought their part of the music to a close, but before the audience could applaud, the percussionists began their own portion of the song. The marimbas tapped their mallets against the keys of their instrument. Each time a mallet head met with a bar, a spiral of purple was sent spinning up into the air. Before long, the sky was filled with pasta-like shapes disappearing into the stars. The snare drum began tapping his drumsticks upon his drum. With each _rat-a-tat-tat_, a firework show of red and blue flew from the end of his sticks and into the air. The bass drum beat his mallet against the drum to the beat, showering the heads of the audience with chestnut colored dots. A young Heterican tapped his beater against a large assortment of triangles. As the instrument _dinged_, a shower of silver stars flew into the sky and melded with the snare drummer's fireworks. The audience _oohed _and _aahed_.

Then, the _dings_ and _booms _quieted and the conductor turned to the first flute, who again, began her solo. More silver liquid drifted from the end of her instrument and into the sky, where it lingered for a moment before disappearing into a hazy fuzz. When the flutist set her instrument down, the audience was silent for a moment. Then, a large whoop from the back sent the crowd into a frenzy. The orchestra received a standing ovation and a large sum of whistles and praise.

"It's over?" Rose asked, sounding disappointed.

"You didn't like it?"

"No, no! I just wish it could've lasted longer." Rose gazed longingly at the stage. "It was beautiful. I thought it'd last the whole night."

"Oh, child. I'm afraid the musicians won't be able to last so long," an elderly alien said to Rose. She definitely was not from Heterica, but she was very elderly and clutched to the arm of another alien, who tipped his hat to Rose and the Doctor.

"Will there be another concert?" Rose asked eagerly.

"Of course. There will be one every night for the rest of the week."

"It has to be tomorrow night?" Rose asked, pouting.

"Are you not staying? You must! The festival lasts for the whole week, and it won't do to have such a lovely couple leave right when the festivities are beginning."

"Oh, w-we aren't… together," the Doctor quickly said, shaking his head. Rose stared at the Doctor for a moment before adding her agreement.

"My apologies," the alien said, "I simply assumed that… Yes, my mistake. Well, I do hope you stay. My name is Krishna. This is my husband, Krishdee. We're from the planet Krandaskilan. We'll be staying in the Hotel Camridian if you need us. Take care." With a slow wave, Krishna and her husband hobbled toward the city.

"I do wish we could stay," Rose sighed, watching the elderly couple walk away. The Doctor watched Rose's face and realized how much she wanted to remain here in Heterica. The Treesap flower in his pocket seemed to weigh him down a bit more. He'd have to give the flower to her some day.

"We could stay. I have all the time we need."

"You sure?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Of course."

"C'mon! Let's find somewhere to sleep." Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and fled into the bustling city.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everybody! Yay! New chapter! Mind you it won't always be this quick. I need something to do over Winter Break, eh? Thanks for the reviews! Never thought people would actually read this, so thank you so much.**

**Merry Christmas to all! This'll probably be the last chapter posted before Christmas. Enjoy! **

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><p>The Doctor groaned and turned over on his side. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed that his Time Lord body refused to give in to slumber. The hotel room was nice, yes. Of course, he'd given Rose and him separate rooms. It'd be much too obvious to order one for them to share, even if there were separate beds.<p>

The Doctor ran a hand through his disheveled hair and glanced at the digital clock beside him. It was almost three in the morning. The Doctor sighed and sat up. Although he and Rose had retired to their rooms at midnight, he'd only slept one hour. Time Lords did not need as much sleep as humans did, but the Doctor often welcomed slumber with open arms. However, tonight, he'd woken up at one in the morning, surprised to find that he'd only been asleep for sixty minutes. After that, the Doctor found himself unable to sleep once more.

The Doctor got up from his bed and began pacing the room. His eyes fell on his coat, which hung on the red hotel chair on the corner. The pink tips of the Treesap flower peeked from its pockets. He plucked the flower from his pocket and noticed that the bottom of its stem was blackening. As he set it upon the table, a few petals fell off. The Doctor filled a glass cup with water from the bathroom sink and set the flower in the water.

He sat down on the chair and propped his elbows upon the wood, resting his chin on his folded hands. The Treesap flower stared back. The Doctor wondered if it would ever reach the hands of one Rose Tyler.

He loved her. He loved her so much. He couldn't say it enough. Whether it was out loud or in his head, it would never be the same as saying it to her face. _Look at yourself_, he thought, chuckling, _You've sent whole civilizations scurrying with a plain 'Hello', and you're afraid to admit your love to one simple human girl. _

Eventually, the Doctor's head began to droop, and soon, his cheek was pressed against the table. This was where Rose found him in the morning, a small bit of drool seeping from the corner of his mouth and onto the wooden table.

"Doctor," Rose said softly, prodding at his shoulder a bit. The Doctor responded with a mere snort. She grinned and poked him a bit harder. With a large intake of breath, the Doctor's head shot up, his eyes wide and awake. His head swiveled around until he saw Rose, who giggled at the Doctor's bewildered expression.

"Whuhappen?" the Doctor blubbered quickly. He wiped the saliva from his chin and raised an eyebrow at Rose.

"We're on Heterica, remember?"

"Oh, yes, Heterica." The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and slowly stood up. He bumped his hand against something cool and felt water on his hand. "Oh, sorry," he said, picking up the water and the Treesap water while wiping the table with his sleeve, "Didn't realize that was there. You want some breakfast?"

"Doctor, why've you got that Treesap flower?" Rose inquired. She straightened the stem of the plant so that it stood at a much more attractive angle.

"Oh… That?" the Doctor asked, flustered. He'd completely forgotten for whom the Treesap flower was for. He floundered for a bit, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "That… erm…"

"You weren't planning on _giving _it to someone, were you, Doctor?" Rose asked, grinning.

"N-no. It was for myself," the Doctor said awkwardly.

"You bought a flower for yourself."

"Yeah." The Doctor held his gaze, and Rose began to laugh.

"You're so weird!" she said, giggling, "C'mon. Let's go eat." Rose skipped out of the room. The Doctor sighed and followed her, wondering what kind of mess he'd gotten himself into.

o.O.o

"What shall we do today? The concert doesn't start 'til night." Rose smiled at the Doctor as they stepped out of the hotel doors, stomachs full from a delicious breakfast of Heterican bacon and Dromidoe juice.

"How about we take a trip to the Heterican mountainside? Wonderful views. Rippling grass. Purple cows. You'll love it."

"As much as the thought of purple cows intrigues me," Rose said, "I do want to try that Heterican spa we saw last night. Remember? Can I go? Please?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said doubtfully, but Rose silently begged him with those deep, innocent brown eyes, and the Doctor broke down. "Alright, fine. But we meet in the town square tonight, 'kay?"

"Of course!" Rose jumped up and down excitedly as the Doctor reached into his pockets. Being bigger on the inside, he was literally up to his elbows looking for Heterican change.

"That was the tea set I got from ancient China," the Doctor said, wincing as quite a loud crash resounded from the inside of his pockets. Finally, he managed to produce a handful of Heterican money. Rose squealed, snatched it from his palm, and ran off in the direction of the spa.

"Don't spend it all at once!" the Doctor cautioned, but Rose was already out of sight. Shaking his head and chuckling, the Doctor wheeled around and went to the marketplace.

o.O.o

"Doctor! Doctor!" a familiar voice called. The Doctor turned and found that the caller was Arked, the young florist he and Rose had met yesterday. The Doctor hurried over and shook hands with the shopkeeper.

"You are a very welcome sight for sore eyes, Doctor," Arken said as he allowed the Doctor into his stall. Arken pulled out a chair for his customer to sit on and began to water some rainbow petunias in a corner. "So, Doctor, have you given your lady friend the Treesap yet?"

"No, not yet," the Doctor admitted wistfully.

"Why not?"

"I'm waiting for the right time," the Doctor said, fiddling with the stem of a flower, "I can't simply go up to her and say 'Here. I have a flower. Oh, and I love you.' I couldn't do that."

"But Doctor, it is the Festival of Nuptials. If you want a miracle in love, now is definitely the time." Arked leaned against an enormous flowerpot housing a giant daisy. He raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who simply sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Arked! M'boy! Arked!" a voice from the marketplace called. Arked straightened and peered over the heads of the people shopping amongst the stalls. He began to wave ecstatically.

"Grandma Krishna! Papa Krishdee! Over here!"

"Oh Arked. It's been months. Much too long. I cannot wait for you to come home. Oh, your customer seems familiar!" Two familiar faces emerged from the throng of people. The Doctor quickly stood up. It was the elderly couple he and Rose had met at the concert last night. He shook hands with Krishna and Krishdee.

"Arked, how do you know this man?" Krishna asked.

"The Doctor? Oh, we met yesterday. He and his companion are here visiting."

"Ah yes. Doctor. Where is that blonde young woman of yours?" Krishna asked, smiling. Arked ushered the two aliens into chairs and began to pour tea.

"She's at the Heterican spa. I'll see her tonight, though."

"Doctor, I was under the impression that you were going to leave. What made you- oh, thank you so much, Arked- What made you stay, Doctor?"

"He and his companion are going to stay for the Festival of Nuptials! He's going to give her the Treesap flower and admit his love for her," Arked recited. The Doctor became very, very red. He was not expecting Arked to announce his plans to these two people he barely knew.

"So, Krishna, Krishdee. How do you two know Arked?" the Doctor asked, trying to wheel the subject away from his infatuation with Rose.

"Oh, Arked is one of our grandchildren. We have an adopted child," Krishna explained to the Doctor's bemused expression, "My husband and I are here for the festival. We have not come for over nine-hundred years."

"I wasn't aware your race lived so long."

"Ah yes. We are nearing our prime, though. I'm afraid my husband cannot go much longer with his injury."

"His injury?" The Doctor turned to Krishdee, who continued to remain in his quiet, silent state. His eyes, however, watched the Doctor with interest and curiosity.

"The Krandaskilans were allies with the Time Lords in the Time War," Krishna explained, "I'd expect a space-traveling human like you would know of the war. Krishdee wasn't killed, praise the gods, but the war has rendered him unable to speak.

"I-I'm not human," the Doctor said quickly. He'd thought that the two aliens would recognize a Time Lord. "I'm Time Lord."

With this, the two aliens' eyes widened and stopped their happy banter with their grandchild. Krishdee narrowed his eyes and hobbled into a standing position.

"You are _the _Doctor. We've heard rumors, but…" Krishna's words drifted off, but her husband continued to hobble to the Doctor, his eyes gleaming. The Doctor was surprised to find a tear fall upon his leg. Krishdee reached for the Doctor and brought the Time Lord's face to his own. Their foreheads touched and the alien's skin was cool to the Doctor's skin.

"I-I understand," the Doctor said. Krishdee wanted the Doctor to feel what he felt. The Doctor opened his mind and was hit with only one phrase: Thank you for living.

With that, Krishdee straightened and gave the greatest honor a Krandaskilan could. Krishdee brought the fingers of both his hands to his lips and then brought them to his temples. After that, Krishdee swept into a low bow. This act represented reverence, respect, and most of all, enormous thanks.

"Thank you," the Doctor said, giving Krishdee a good embrace, "Thank you so much."

o.O.o

The Doctor nervously shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet. Rose was fifteen minutes late. With a sinking feeling, the Doctor wondered if Rose had gotten lost and was wandering in the alleys of the city somewhere, lost, confused, and totally alone.

"Doctor!" He heard Rose calling for him and searched for a blonde woman in the crowd. He found Rose standing a few feet behind him and swept her up.

"Doctor!" Rose said, laughing. Her skin was luminescent from the spa treatment. The Doctor put her down and smiled at her. "The spa was absolutely wonderful. You know they use sea slugs in their treatments? I didn't try it, of course. What'd you do?"

"Oh, I just hung around the marketplace with Arked. You know Krishdee and Krishna are his grandparents? I spent the day with them. Terribly interesting." The Doctor continued to recount what he'd done during the day, purposely leaving out the exchange with Krishdee. That was his own small private moment.

"You made it just in time," the Doctor said, "It's starting." The Doctor pointed to the stage. This time, instead of a band, it was a string orchestra, with the exception of two musicians with wooden recorders in their hands. The conductor took the stage and took a microphone from a small table next to him.

"Welcome, everybody, to the Festival of Nuptials!" His announcement was met with a series of excited applause. "We'll be continuing the tradition of the festival tonight with a special song. I do hope you all like dancing, because we'll be playing the Kingdom's Step Song." Everybody began clapping wildly, the Doctor included. When he realized Rose wasn't as enthusiastic as everyone else, he turned his head to stare at her.

"Doctor, I don't know how to dance the- the… What was it?"

"Heterica's famous Kingdom Step Song. It's terribly popular. Don't worry, you'll learn quickly. The Doctor pulled Rose away from the middle of the crowd and into the sides. Anybody who did not want to dance ran to the edges of the crowd, where a circle was quickly forming.

"Dancers to the middle. Find a partner!" the conductor instructed from his stage. Pairs formed within the circle and waited for the music to begin. As soon as the crowd quieted, the conductor tapped his baton at the end of his podium and the musicians picked up their instruments. As soon as the conductor brought his baton down, the musicians began to play.

The song had a slight medieval air to it, a bit like the songs from the olden days of shining knights and peasants. The couples within the circle instantly took up the beat. The dance, like the Doctor said, was simple. It consisted of two heavy stomps of the foot, then for quick claps of the hand as the two dancers faced each other. They did this two times. Then, the music would take on a more flowing tune for a few seconds. During this portion, the man took the woman and the couple would dance through the crowd quickly, almost like a waltz, only quicker with skipping and jumping. Then, the process began again, except this time, instead of waltzing, the man took the woman by her waist and lifted her into a wonderful lift.

"It's wonderful," Rose breathed. Colorful fabrics melded with another as the dancers twirled and danced and stomped their way through the song. Those on the perimeter of the circle clapped to the beat, smiling at the laughing couples in the center.

"How long does it go on?" Rose asked in wonder after ten minutes of the continuous dancing.

"That's the fun of it," the Doctor said, "The longer you stay dancing, the better your love with your dance partner will be."

As the Doctor explained the Kingdom's Step to Rose, a couple in front of them collapsed in laughter. The female giggled, placed a kiss on the male's cheek, and scurried away into the crowd. The man turned a full three-hundred and sixty degree circle before his eyes fell on Rose, who was currently bouncing up and down to the beat of the cheery music. The man's eyes brightened and he neared Rose. The Doctor watched warily.

The man was handsome, yes. Being over nine hundred years old, the Doctor certainly had had the problem of attracting some males (Captain Jack, anybody?). He knew what was handsome to women, and this man certainly fit the description.

The man wasn't human. His skin was so pale that it was albino, and when he extended his hand to a bewildered Rose, the Doctor took note of three fingers. The man also had a fox-like tale that waved lazily back and forth like a pendulum. His hair was pale blue and had a slight glow to it. The Doctor recognized his species. He was a Smatho, from the planet Andresian.

"Hello," the man said, flashing the Doctor and Rose a very bright and white smile, "My name is Thesno. I was wondering if your boyfriend would release you for a small dance with me."

"Oh. W-we're not dating," the Doctor corrected, even though he wanted to say the exact opposite. Something about Thesno made the Doctor neck tingle.

"Oh, that makes things much less complicated," Thesno said, grinning. He took Rose's smooth hand and gave it a soft kiss. "Would you like to accompany me for a dance?"

"O-of course," Rose said, sounding surprised. _She shouldn't be surprised_, the Doctor thought, _She's so beautiful, she could attract anyone_. He watched as Thesno led Rose by the hand and began the Kingdom's Step Song with her. She caught on quickly and began to laugh.

The Doctor became annoyed. One could say he was jealous, but the Doctor wouldn't use that word. What was so good about Thesno, anyway? That tail constantly got in the way of things, and what was with his skin? Was he asking for sunburn? The Doctor grumpily watched as Rose and Thesno twirled through the crowd. He seemed to cast an aura of anger, and those near him took a small step away from the man.

Eventually, Rose tired and stopped dancing. Thesno looked disappointed, but he quickly regained his composure when Rose gave him a small kiss on his cheek. She skipped back to the Doctor, absolutely beaming. The Doctor, however, kept his grumpy expression evident on his face.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Rose clung to the Doctor's arm and smiled.

"Nothing. It's just this night air. A bit too chilly, if you think about it," the Doctor said.

"Dance, Doctor. It'll warm you up."

"Sorry, Rose Tyler, but I only dance in special occasions," the Doctor said, smiling at her.

"Like that time we had to stop a whole invasion of gasmask zombies just to ease a small dance out of you?" Rose teased, "Sorry Doctor. No gasmask zombies here."

"Well them I'm not dancing," the Doctor declared. Rose merely giggled and watched the dancers dance with their partners. The Doctor glanced down at Rose. His beautiful pink and yellow Rose. He wished he could be the one dancing out there with her. He wanted to be the one to twirl her in the air. He wanted to be the one she kissed at the end of the dance, and not just on the cheek, mind you, but the Doctor's wishes were merely useless daydreams and by the end of the night, Rose had already danced with three different men, but the Doctor had refused to dance, even when a Heterican female walked up to him and asked him to dance.

When the music finally eased to a stop, the crowd groaned and begged for more, but the conductor insisted that there would be more dancing tomorrow. This placated the crowd a bit and everybody went back to their homes and hotels.

"C'mon Rose. Time to go back," the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand and leading her away from the tangle of people. Rose turned her head to look back pensively, but she then turned back to the Doctor and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Doctor, for bringing me. It was quite wonderful." The two remained silent for a while, until the big doors of their hotel came into view.

"I do wish they'd have such fun festivals on Earth," Rose wished. She and Rose went up the stairs and into the hallway where their rooms were located.

"Well, g'night, Doctor," Rose said, smiling. She gave his hand a squeeze before disappearing into her room. The Doctor stood in the hallway for a second. He half-hoped that Rose would come back outside. After few minutes, the Doctor turned and went into his own room,

The Doctor stripped off his clothes and slipped into the pajamas he'd retrieved from the Tardis. As he got ready for bed, the Doctor's eyes fell on the Treesap flower that sat in the glass cup. Despite having spent the whole day in water, its step was beginning to droop and some of the petals had fallen. It wouldn't be long until the flower was dead. Would it reach Rose's hands before so? The Doctor sighed and slipped into bed and turned out the lights. It was still quite a while before he managed to quiet his thoughts and fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everybody! Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas! This chapter took a long time to write, mostly because I'm starting to study for finals. Yes, my school's finals are after winter break. Weird. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Elton John or any of his music (You guys shall see why this is put here soon). I also do not own Doctor Who. Do you really think I'd be writing here if I did?**

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><p>"Doctor! Doctor!" A loud voice outside the door roused the Doctor from his sleep. The Doctor groaned and turned over, burying his head into the fluffy pillows, but no matter how deep he stuffed himself under his covers, the shouting never ceased.<p>

"Doctor! Doctor!" The door crashed open and a pair of hands grabbed at the blankets. "Morning, sunshine!" Rose sang, ripping the covers from the Doctor's body. He whimpered a bit before opening one eye to look up at Rose.

"What?" he asked, a tad bit annoyed.

"It's almost nine o'clock." Rose giggled and bounced at the edge of the Doctor's bed. "Time to get up!"

"Five more minutes," the Doctor begged. Rose simply scoffed and pulled at the Doctor's ankles in an attempt to get him out of bed. The Doctor made a sound of protest and gripped the bedposts.

"Doctor, if you've got enough strength to grab at those posts, then you've got enough strength to wake up. Now, get up!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" the Doctor said, sitting up and holding his hands up in surrender.

Rose eventually managed to convince the Doctor to get into some actual clothes and brush his teeth. During the whole fiasco, the Doctor muttered and grumbled. Although rest wasn't commonly needed, Time Lords still enjoyed sleeping in.

"What's the hurry, anyway?" the Doctor asked, slightly grumpy because Rose had made him skip his morning breakfast. Instead, she'd rushed him out of the hotel and into the city eagerly.

"Have you noticed I have nothing to wear to tonight? Nothing at all?" Rose said.

"But the Tardis always supplies you with clothes."

"Doctor," Rose said, turning and facing him with her hands on her hips, "There's a big difference between being supplied clothes and actually going shopping."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "There is?"

"It's not that I don't enjoy being given clothes on a daily business. In fact, it's a dream come true. Y'know how many girls want a mind-reading wardrobe?" Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "But sometimes, you just have to go shopping."

"Oh alright," the Doctor groaned, "If you need me, I'll be in my room catching up on breakfast and-"

"Oh no you don't," Rose said, grabbing the Doctor's arm before he could make a hasty retreat. The Doctor absolutely hated shopping. Exploring a marketplace filled with new items and inventions was interesting, but looking at clothes all day was a real bore to the Doctor. Unfortunately, Rose had different ideas.

"You have to come with me," Rose said, poking the Doctor in the chest.

"Me?" the Doctor whined, pouting. He closely resembled a three year-old child. Rose giggled.

"Yes, you, Doctor."

"But why do I have to go?" the Doctor asked as Rose began tugging him toward the marketplace, "The Tardis has enough suits for me."

"I don't mean buying clothes for you, Doctor," Rose said, rolling her eyes, "If I want to find something nice to wear, I'm going to need a man's opinion?"

"Really?" the Doctor asked, suddenly very excited. Looking at clothes all day was a real drag, but looking at them on Rose was… Well, let's just say that the Doctor was not going to be so bored after all.

"Yeah," Rose said. She smiled. "So you gonna come?"

"Fine," the Doctor said, finally relenting.

"Great." Rose smiled and slipped her hand into his. After a slight pause, she added, "Plus, I couldn't possibly go shopping without any money, could I?"

o.O.o

"Rose, are you quite possibly done yet?" the Doctor yelled.

"Just a minute!" Rose called back. The Doctor groaned and sat back in the folding chair. This was the sixth stall Rose had gone into and it was taking quite a toll on the Doctor.

First of all, a lot of the stalls sold traditional Heterican clothing, which, unfortunately, consisted of many folds and layers. It took almost fifteen minutes to simply show Rose how to slip into the dresses. Luckily, some of the stalls were also quite modern and the Doctor and Rose had managed to find quite a few Hetericans who sold actual Earth-like dresses.

Second, Rose seemed to suddenly become very picky with the clothing. She'd only come out for a few seconds to check the reactions of the Doctor before rushing away, insisting that the outfit was much too hideous or unbecoming on her. The Doctor tried to sway her attitude. He knew that no matter what she dressed in, she would always be beautiful. Sadly, Rose and the Doctor did not think alike and he spent more time waiting for her to change than actually seeing her in a dress.

"Alright! I'm ready!" Rose called from behind the curtain. The Doctor straightened from his chair.

"Come out! Let me see!"

Rose stepped out, the dress swaying at her feet, and the Doctor's jaw literally dropped. He couldn't seem to close it. Not with Rose in that, anyway.

Now, the Doctor had met many women in his life. He'd met pretty ones. He'd met beautiful ones. He'd met sexy ones, and he'd met lovely ones, but if there was one girl who had all of those adjectives combined, it was Rose. She was stunning. Breath-taking. Magnificent.

The Doctor stared. And stared. And stared. He could've stared for hours, his eyes feasting on Rose, but with one look at the Doctor's face, Rose whirled around and began to find another dress.

"Oh dear. Is it that bad?" Rose asked.

"No! No!" the Doctor said loudly. Rose looked up. The Doctor realized he was standing and quickly ran his hand through his wild hair.

"You look beautiful. Let me get a better look." The Doctor smiled at Rose, who now smiled a bit and stepped away from the rack of clothes.

"Wow," the Doctor managed as Rose stood in front of him, her hands fluttering at her sides and her head tilted downward shyly. She was in a beautiful silk-like dress that gave her almost a mermaid kind of feeling. The dress hugged her body until it flared out slightly at her shins. The dress had small straps that showed a lot of shoulder, and the back of the dress was dipped down to the middle of her spine. She looked like a goddess.

"I look like I'm getting married," Rose said, looking down at herself and chuckling.

"Y-you look… Um… Er…" the Doctor stammered. He couldn't even come up with an adjective fitting enough to describe Rose. His usual cry of 'Brilliant!' was not good enough. "You're spectacularly superlative," the Doctor announced proudly.

"Ah, miss, you wish to buy this?" the Heterican shopkeeper asked. Rose looked down at the dress and then back up at the Doctor.

"Well, if it gets that kind of reaction from the Doctor," Rose said, "I'd like it, yeah."

"Wonderful. It will be perfect for the concert tonight."

"Hm?" the Doctor inquired as he handed the shopkeeper her money.

"Oh, did you not hear?" the Heterican asked, "The concert tonight will be formal. It was announced in the town square this morning. With this dress, I bet you two will be the best dressed couple there. Here you go."

Before the Doctor could correct the shopkeeper about his and Rose's relationship status, the Heterican had turned to another customer. The Doctor shrugged and let Rose back into the changing room. He grinned. Tonight was going to be spectacular.

o.O.o

The Doctor peered into the mirror, furtively checking his reflection. After Rose had gone back to her room, the Doctor had run back to the Tardis, hoping to find a suitable outfit to wear tonight.

Over the years, the Doctor had collected quite a variety of tuxes. He'd even found a yellow one with a matching tie that looked quite like a banana. Unfortunately, the Doctor knew Rose wouldn't find anything funny about the suit, so he'd thrown it back on its hanger and searched some more.

Eventually, the Doctor settled for a classic black and white tux. However, he was still in need of something to adorn his collar.

The Doctor observed the collection of ties and bowties sitting on his bed. Their colors ranged from dark blue to bright pink. The Doctor lingered his hands over the bowties, but rejected them with a small wave of his hands. Bowties were cool, but he'd never actually worn them.

The Doctor's eyes fell on a dark red tie at the corner of his bed. He fingered the silky fabric and glanced back at the Treesap flower. Although its stem was quite dark, its petals remained light pink, until the Doctor reached over and stroked its petals. Instantaneously, the flower's petals became blood red, quite like the tie now held in the Doctor's hands.

The Doctor contemplated the situation for a second. Then, he slipped his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and pointed his tool at the flower. The Doctor slipped his fingers away from the flower, but its petals remained deep red. Proudly, the Doctor smiled at his wit.

"Doctor! You done yet?" Rose yelled from outside his hotel room.

"Just a minute!" the Doctor called back. He hurriedly looped the tie around his neck, but found himself hopelessly confused with the knots and the loops. Finally, he simply let it hang around his neck. The Doctor reached for the Treesap flower and pinned it to his breast pocket.

"Doctor?" Rose yelled a bit more urgently.

"Almost done!" the Doctor yelled back. He slipped by the bathroom and combed his hand through his hair, making it look even more hopelessly disheveled.

"Allons-y!" the Doctor cried, opening the door grandly and facing Rose, grinning like a madman. Rose stopped for a moment to look over the Doctor's appearance and chuckled.

"What?" the Doctor asked, pouting. He'd worked quite hard on his outfit and was upset to know that Rose still couldn't take it seriously.

"Your tie," Rose said gently. She looped her arms around his neck and fixed it, perfectly fastening it around his neck.

"Oh," the Doctor said, looking down. Rose was impossibly close to his face now. She glanced up hesitantly under her thick lashes. The Doctor noted how nice she smelled. Like lilacs and honey. He could feast on that smell.

"So… Um… Well…" the Doctor said, quickly breaking his gaze. Rose hastily dropped her hands from his tie and stepped away.

"You look handsome," Rose said, smiling.

"You look… Wow," the Doctor said. Rose giggled. The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off her. The dress seemed to fit her even better under the warm light of the hotel, and her beaten shoes had been replaced with strappy white sandals with low heels. Her hair was loosely piled up in a bun, small ringlets allowed to frame her face. Then, as if to torture the Doctor even more, she'd slipped on a silver necklace with a heart that slid toward her cleavage. The Doctor nervously swallowed.

"Your poor little flower's dying," Rose said, she fingered its petals, "It's staying the same color."

"Yeah. Sonic screwdriver. Thought it'd look better with the tie," the Doctor merely replied. The two eyed each other for a lingering second, searching for what to say. Then, the Doctor peeled his eyes off Rose and glanced up at the ceiling.

"So," he said, "We're going to be late. Coming?"

"Yeah, let's go," Rose said. The Doctor crooked his arm, smirking, and Rose, after rolling her eyes, looped her arm around it.

o.O.o

"Are you sure I look alright?" Rose asked doubtfully as the Doctor and her joined the large procession heading toward the town square. The Doctor noticed her gaze traveling toward the other females who'd decided to participate in the concert.

"You can't possibly be comparing yourself to them," the Doctor said.

"I'm a silly daft little human amongst hundreds of aliens all dressed in pretty dresses," Rose said, "How could I not?"

"You really think they look better than you?" the Doctor asked disbelievingly.

"Not necessarily that," Rose said, but the Doctor knew she thought so, "I'm just wondering why I even bother coming, y'know? I'll only embarrass myself, like always."

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, looking down at her, "The Bad Wolf. You've had the entire time vortex in your body, and yet when you put on a pretty dress, you suddenly become self-conscious? Nope. You've got more confidence than that, Miss Tyler."

"But-" Rose protested, but the Doctor slipped his index finger against her lips. Rose became cross-eyed as she watched the Doctor's finger press against her mouth.

"You look beautiful, Rose," the Doctor announced, "Absolutely gorgeous, and I'm proud to have such a stunning companion to the concert."

Rose stilled, glancing up at the Doctor. Redness instantly flushed on her cheeks and she suddenly had a very intense interest in her shoes.

"You think I'm stunning?" Rose asked, smiling.

"D-did I say that?" the Doctor asked, turning as red as a tomato. He nervously ran a hand up his neck and into his hair. "I was just saying you should have more confidence. That's all. I-it seems that we're late. Hurry up now. Best not tarry. Go, go, go." The Doctor stumbled and rushed over his words as he quickly ushered a beaming Rose toward the concert.

The concert had already started by the time Rose and the Doctor made their way to the square. Young couples waltzed by, their faces shining and laughing as they stepped to the music.

"Look how beautiful it looks," Rose breathed, gripping the Doctor's hand tightly.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, grinning.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and the couples looked up at the stage curiously. The conductor took the stage, smiling warmly at the appreciative amount of applause he was given.

"Hello everybody," he said, "I promised that tonight we'd have a special treat, and a special treat I do have. Coming all the way from the planet Werduskan, please welcome Miss Floo Fleming!"

The crowd applauded as a young woman took the stage.

"Who's that?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"Floo Fleming, the most influential singer of this time," the Doctor explained as Miss Fleming nodded to the crowd shyly.

"Really?"

"Think of her as the Elvis of the universe," the Doctor said, "Her influence has quickly spread throughout the stars. Why, even the Sontarans know her name."

"Hello everybody," Miss Fleming greeted. Simply her voice brought on a large amount of whoops and cheers. Her frizzy blonde hair poofed out behind her like small waves, and she almost flinched at the loud noise.

"She looks terribly shy," Rose noticed.

"Ah, that's what everyone loves about her," the Doctor said, "No matter how famous she gets, she'll always be that meek lady from the Curdonzk Nebula."

"Today," Miss Fleming said, "I'll be singing a song from one of my favorite singers. He's from Earth, so I doubt any of you know him, but… here goes."

Miss Fleming nodded to the musicians, who picked up their instruments and began to play a tune very familiar to Rose's ears.

"Doctor, she's playing-" Rose said excitedly, but the Doctor quickly shushed her.

"Shh. I know."

Miss Fleming began to sing, her voice carrying out across the crowd.

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside_

_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_

_I don't have much money, but boy if I did_

_I'd buy a big house where we both could live. _

The crowd began to sway to the music, and before Miss Fleming had even finished the verse, couples had formed and held each other in their arms as they swayed to the music.

_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_

_Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show_

_I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do_

_My gift is my song, and this one's for you. _

The Doctor's eyes drifted to Rose, whose head leaned against his upper arm loyally.

_And you can tell everybody that this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world. _

The Doctor turned to Rose and uncertainly bowed, who looked at him in disbelief.

"Rose Tyler, I was hoping I could have the honor of dancing with you."

Rose stared at the Doctor in shock for a while, before lifting her head up high and smiling.

"Uhm… Okay."

The Doctor grinned cheekily and took Rose's hand in his own as he led her to the swaying crowd. He uncertainly placed his hands around her waist while Rose slid her hands up to his shoulders. It felt electrifying as they began to sway to the music.

_I sat on the roof and picked at the moss_

_Well, a few of these verses, well, they've got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on. _

The Doctor looked into Rose's deep eyes and felt such love for her. Deep, yearning love that urged him to take her in his arms and claim her as his own. As if on its own accord, he slipped his arms tightly around her and brought her closer, her cheek against his chest. Rose gave a sudden intake of breath.

_So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is what I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

The Doctor, if possible, brought himself closer to Rose. He pressed his lips to the top of Rose's head and felt her hair tickle his nose, bringing him the aroma of lilacs and honey. Rose and the Doctor were one, drifting past the other couples like a boat amongst a sea of people. The Doctor felt Rose's cheek press into his chest, as if she craved the sound of his beating hearts.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words. _

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world. _

Rose broke her cheek away from the Doctor and looked up at him. He smiled lightly and lifted his hand to stroke the side of her face. Rose brought her hand up and cradled the Doctor's cheek. Then, as Miss Fleming's voice rose to an epic crescendo, they simply gazed at each other, drinking in the moment and each other's beauty.

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, _

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world. _

The Doctor and Rose were still holding each other as the audience clapped and cheered for Miss Fleming. They gazed at each other, smiling with both their lips and their eyes as the crowd dispersed.

The Doctor looked at Rose. His silly little pink and yellow human. They were so close now, their lips only an inch or so apart. The Doctor wanted to close that gap. Oh, he wanted to feel her lips on his, letting his passion and love for her seep through and envelop her, cushioning her.

But, a jolt of energy suddenly brought himself to reality as he realized he was holding Rose in his arms. He quickly stepped away, bringing his hands to the back of his neck. He felt so empty now that Rose wasn't touching him. He longed for the softness of her cheek to press against his chest, for her hands to stroke his cheek, but he pushed those hopes away and broke his gaze from her brown eyes

He couldn't do it. He simply couldn't. She only loved him because he was there at the moment. Only because he'd danced with her and looked at her and told her she was the most beautiful thing in the world, but the second she looked into his heart, she'd see hatred and pain and guilt and she'd run away, never bothering to look back at him and his undeserving self.

"D-doctor?" Rose questioned, her voice cracking. His hearts absolutely shattered at the sad and broken expression on his loved one's face, but he made himself stand strong. If he let Rose in now, she would, without a doubt, hate him for the rest of her life.

"I-I'm sorry," he said quietly, as if an apology would actually help. He backed away, stumbling over people's feet. "I'm so sorry. I-I can't do this anymore. I-I'll be back at the hotel."

With that, the Doctor ran back to his hotel, where he pushed past a family of bewildered tourists and up the stairs, knocking over a lone suitcase while running down the carpeted hall. He drunkenly found his door, and fumbled his way through unlocking the door.

The second he was in his room with the door shut, he sat down on his bed and simply sat. He sat for an hour at the most, numb from his broken heart and his aching head. He did not even bother standing up at the sound of Rose shutting the hotel door next to his. He did, though, jump as he heard waves and waves of Rose's sobs as they leaked through the thin wall.

He hurried to his door, but stopped his hand from turning the knob. Rushing to her aid would only make things more complicated. And when things got complicated, the Doctor ran. But he was so tired of running. Running from Rose. Running from relationships. Running from love. He was tired and weary and absolutely drained from it all.

The Doctor brought his ear up to the wall he shared with Rose, and for a second, Rose paused in her crying. Then, she continued to weep, every little sniffle and gasp a foot stamping upon the remains of what used to be the Doctor's heart. He felt compelled to run to Rose and to hug her, telling her he loved her more than anything in the world, but he couldn't let that happen. So, the Doctor turned off his lights and crawled under his bed covers without bothering to change out of his clothing. He was too tired to do anything else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everybody! This one's a short one, sorry, but I've kinda hit some Writer's block. Don't worry though, I'm working on the next chapter and it should be out by New Year's. **

**Oh, and don't forget to R&R :)**

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><p>The Doctor groaned and rolled over in his bed. With a glance at the clock on his bedside table, he muttered and stuffed his face into the pillows. It was six o'clock in the morning. Much too early.<p>

With a small mutter of frustration, he sat up and began pacing the room. It seemed that he couldn't go back to sleep. He glanced down at his clothing and sighed. He was still in the crumbled, slightly smelly tuxedo he'd worn last night. It reminded him painfully of Rose, which made him feel even worse.

"A good shower would get you feeling better," the Doctor said out loud, feeling the need to encourage himself. The Doctor went to the bathroom and began turning the knobs of the shower, not bothering to figure out exactly what they did. He ended up with a shower spewing out not only water, but also multi-colored bubbles and small green stars that popped when they met a surface.

The Doctor began to slip out of his clothes, but hesitated when he moved to take his black jacket off. The Treesap flower, crumpled and sadly wilted from being slept on, still clung to his jacket for dear life. The Doctor tore it from his jacket and threw it next to the sink.

After an invigorating shower, the Doctor stepped out, dressed in his usual pinstriped suit. He ran a hand through his damp hair and sighed. How was he going to face Rose today? He wondered if she'd even talk to him.

The Doctor's question was answered an hour later when a hesitant knock resounded against his door. He opened it to find Rose, the area around her eyes slightly red from crying.

"Doctor?" Rose said unsurely. The Doctor mustered a smile.

"Hello, Rose, what do you feel like doing today? I was thinking the Heterican seaside. You know their sea looks pink from a distance? Don't worry though. It's just the sky reflecting on the ocean floor making it look like it's pink. I rather like the color pink. It makes things look much nicer. Come along now."

Before Rose could even squeeze in a word, the Doctor was ushering her down the stairs and out the hotel doors.

"Doctor, I-" Rose began, twisting around to try and meet the Doctor's eyes, but he kept his head raised and eyes away from Rose's, refusing to return her gaze.

"C'mon, Rose. I don't want to waste any time."

"Doctor, I want-"

"No time to talk."

"Doctor, let's-"

"I do believe it's in the north. If we just keep going that way, I'm sure we'll see it sometime. Heterica's a terribly small planet. I wonder if we'll see any fish. The fish are quite magnificent. I can't wait. I'm so excited. I wonder if I-"

"Doctor! You listen to me right now!"

The Doctor stopped his speaking and whipped around to face Rose, whose eyes danced with rage and fists were curled so tight that her knuckles were white. She breathed raggedly, as if yelling the simple command had tired her.

"What?" the Doctor asked, bewildered.

"You know exactly _what _I'm yelling about, Doctor," Rose growled angrily. The Doctor flinched at the anger and frustration in Rose's voice.

"R-Rose," the Doctor stuttered, shrinking a bit under Rose's gaze.

"Stop!" Rose cried, attracting the attention of quite a few Hetericans, "Just stop!"

"Stop what, Rose?" the Doctor asked desperately.

"I-I'm just tired," Rose said, sobbing, "I'm tired of trying to keep away from you. I'm tired of acting like I'm happy. I'm tired of pretending the two of us are just friends, when I want so much more, Doctor. I'm just tired!"

Rose paused for breath, leaving the Doctor a chance to gape at the young woman who was now gasping for breath.

Was Rose tired, too?

Yes, she'd just admitted it. Right then and there.

Oh, you daft old fool. She's a crying mess over here. A good gentleman would help her up. Comfort her. Sneak in an _I love you_. Go on, you coward. Go on.

But it seemed that no matter how much the Doctor urged himself, his feet refused to move. Staring at Rose, now gripping her sides and looking down at her feet, the Doctor felt so guilty. He loved her. He really did. He loved her so much. And now, there was no denying the fact that she shared the same feelings.

Well, you old man. What's wrong? Go!

Except, the Doctor couldn't. The thought of having Rose. Of truly being able to call her _his_ was a dream come true, but then, the Doctor thought of the pain and anguish that would come back. He thought of watching Rose grow old as his face never aged. What would that do to her? He'd seen it happen before. Countless companions who'd become insane watching the Doctor remain young as their youth was slowly sucked away.

He thought of Rose, still so youthful. But she wouldn't remain that way. She would age and age until she withered away. Growing old was a natural part of life, but after spending ones life with a seemingly immortal man, it became Hell. True, living Hell knowing that you were dying, while your loved one remained healthy and well.

No, the Doctor could not give that to Rose.

Rose looked up, her eyes newly reddened from crying. After one look at the Doctor's face, she straightened.

"I see," she said, her voice cracking a bit, "You don't feel the same way."

The Doctor opened his mouth. He did feel the same way. He loved her. He loved her so much, but he couldn't say it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You want me to leave then?" Rose asked quietly.

The Doctor gawked at Rose in shock. He didn't want her to leave. He couldn't go on without her. She was the one who held him down. The one who reminded him that yes, even an old grumpy Time Lord like himself was worthy, even when he killed so many. Without her, he would become the wild, unforgiving man he was before. He'd be halved without her.

"I'll be going to the Tardis to… pack up," Rose said, as if the mere fact of admitting it out loud hurt her, "You can take me back home."

With that, Rose slipped away from the Doctor and back in the direction of the Tardis.


	5. Chapter 5

**I know, I know. This chapter's just as short as the last one. I didn't know 2012 would come so fast, and I didn't want to go back on my promise. I'll try to make the next chapter longer, but school's coming up, and I've got to get started on my homework. Sorry, if it takes a little while longer.**

**Thanks for reading! R&R, please! **

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><p>After a few moments of stunned silence, the Doctor whirled around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman he loved. Unfortunately, it was quite a busy morning and the Doctor had to stand on the balls of his feet in order to see over the high heads of the civilians. By this time, Rose was already gone.<p>

"What's wrong with you, you old coward?" the Doctor muttered to himself, "Look what you've done now!"

The Doctor began walking in the direction of the Tardis, hitting the sides of his head with the palms of his hands.

"I am not walking in the direction of the Tardis," the Doctor argued to himself, "I am simply on my way back to the hotel. They just both happen to be facing toward the south is all. Yep."

At that very moment, the Doctor walked past his hotel, muttering to himself angrily.

"Alright, so I'm not going to the hotel. I'm also not scanning the area for signs of Rose," the Doctor angrily said. As he scanned the streets for any signs of his pink and yellow human.

"I am also not going back to the Tardis for the sake of comforting Rose," the Doctor announced, head held high, "I am simply going to the Tardis because I need to make sure nobody's touched her. Heterica does have a high number of criminals and burglars, right?"

By this time, the Doctor's blue box had come into view, standing almightily in the waving pink grass. It, obviously, hadn't been touched ever since it had landed in Heterica.

"Obviously, the Tardis is fine," the Doctor narrated, "It's best that I go back now. Can't keep the Heterican seaside waiting, can I?"

Instead, the Doctor's legs swiftly took him into his time machine. The Tardis angrily hummed at the Doctor's arrival, heatedly reprimanding him for angering Rose.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor said, waving the Tardis's attempts to speak to him away.

The Tardis's control room shook a bit at the Doctor's ignorance, making him stumble his way to the captain's seat. The Doctor glared at nothing in particular.

"What? You're saying it's my fault?" the Doctor asked, sounding bemused. The Tardis answered with a groan.

"I'm not going to go comfort her," the Doctor said, turning his back on Rose's corridor and crossing his arms. The Tardis swung the control room furiously, causing the Doctor to fall flat on his face.

"Oh, so you're on her side then!" The Doctor stood up shakily and brushed off his coat. The Tardis muttered and groaned and hissed and shook, but no matter how hard she tried to sway the Doctor, he held his ground, glaring at nothing in particular.

The Tardis often did try and help the Doctor when he argued with his companions. She often felt obligated to try and make her guests feel welcome. She was quite fond of her captain, the Doctor, but like his other companions, the Tardis thought he could be so daft sometimes.

The Doctor plopped down on the captain's chair, still crossing his arms and scowling. He ignored the irritated hums the Tardis shot at him.

"What? What're you doing?" the Doctor asked, noticing one of the Tardis's monitors springing to life. The Tardis mumbled and stuttered, but other than that, made no attempt to explain to the Doctor what he was doing.

After a few seconds of silence, the Doctor abruptly stood up and turned around not allowing him to look at the monitor. The Tardis had managed to tap into Rose's room, giving him a front row seat to exactly what Rose was doing in her room.

Unfortunately, even if he refused to look at the screen, the Doctor still heard Rose's sobs. Every cry, sniffle, and hiccup was as painful as a Jackie Tyler style slap. And Jackie Tyler's slaps hurt.

The Tardis angrily gave the Doctor a smack at the back of his head for with the monitor. The Doctor winced, not only from the pain of the Tardis hitting his head, but from the guilt and shame that his actions had done this to Rose.

"Alright, alright!" the Doctor roared angrily, whipping around and slamming his hands on the console, "I see her! I see her! What could you possibly want me to do? Hm? Run to her room and comfort her? Make her cookies and cuddle and tell her that I love her? You want me to do that? You want me to do that?"

The Doctor smacked the screen away from him and collapsed in the captain's chair, his chest rising and falling furiously.

The Tardis, sensing she'd finally crossed the line, caressed the Doctor, sending him hope and forgiveness and love.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor muttered.

The Tardis hesitantly pushed the monitor toward the Doctor, asking him to think thoroughly for once in his life. The Doctor tentatively raised his head to look at the monitor.

There was his Rose, curled up in her pink bed in a fetal position. She sobbed and cried and bawled her eyes out, not knowing that the Doctor was watching her. The Doctor's hands shook for a few seconds, and then, he suddenly sprang into action.

The Doctor ran into the kitchen, only to discover the water already in the kettle with a small assortment of tea bags on a tray.

"Oh, you beautiful thing, you," the Doctor said, praising his Tardis for being so thoughtful. The Tardis hummed in contentment and victory. She'd finally managed to sway the Doctor's mind.

The Doctor had the tea ready in a few seconds. Actually walking the two mugs to Rose's room was agonizing. He absolutely hated walking carefully when he really should've been running to Rose's aide, but one thing the Tardis absolutely despised was having hot tea spilled on her carpet.

"Rose?" the Doctor asked quietly as he entered Rose's room unsurely. He'd never been in here before, but it didn't surprise him that it was quite pink.

"Doctor?" Rose questioned, looking up from her position. During the whole tea fiasco, Rose had managed to sit up and huddle at the corner of her bed. She blushed red out of embarrassment and shame.

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor said, smiling. He sat at the edge of her bed, pushing away a box of tissues. "I brought some tea."

"Thanks." Rose accepted the mug from the Doctor and held it tightly with both of her hands. She looked down at the cup, refusing to meet eyes with the Doctor. The Doctor frowned. He didn't like being ignored.

"Rose? Can we talk?" the Doctor asked unsurely.

"Oh, so you want to talk _now_," Rose said exasperatedly, "Didn't look like it an hour ago, hm? Prattling away like some mad professor."

"Rose," the Doctor begged, "Please?"

Rose sighed. She took a good sip of tea before looking up. "What?"

The Doctor sighed inwardly. He ran a nervous hand through his hair and smiled at Rose.

"You know, the festival doesn't end for another few days," the Doctor said, smiling hopefully. Rose raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, and for a second, the Doctor thought she was going to grin at him, just like always. But then, Rose retreated back to her melancholy state and fingered the mug's handle.

"Yeah, but I thought you'd want me to leave." Rose looked at the Doctor, her brown eyes seeming to burn holes into his. The Doctor blinked a bit.

"Yes, well, you've been enjoying it so far. I was wondering, if you'd possibly like to stay." The Doctor hopefully watched as Rose pretended to ponder about it, bringing her finger to her chin.

"Of course," Rose said, smiling, because no matter what, she could never turn down the temptation to stay on a curious planet for just a little longer.

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor said, his grin stretching his cheeks. He reached over to give Rose a hug, and she seemed just about to reach for him, too, but she suddenly stopped herself.

"Doctor. Stop," Rose said painfully," Please." Rose stood up on shaky feet. She walked out her room sadly, leaving the Doctor sitting alone in a pink bed with nothing but a lukewarm mug of tea to ponder on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody! Sorry for being so late. School has started, and that means final exams. Which means studying. Which means less time to actually write. **

**This is the last chapter of the Planet of Colors. I was planning on making it longer, but it is my first FanFic, and it was more of an experiment to see if I really can write.**

**I'll explain more about future projects and stuff at the bottom, but please read. Thank you for following the Doctor and Rose in their journey in Heterica! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. Nor do I own So Close by Jon McLaughlin. **

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><p>"I had no idea the festival was so popular during the day," Rose said, gawking at the sights. The Doctor merely shrugged.<p>

The Hetericans, being a very excitable and celebratory race, and often made a big debacle out of every special occasion, from birthdays to weddings. Even Heterican funerals were loud and rambunctious, though it was a sad occasion, as all funerals were.

The Festival of Nuptials, however, was obviously the most celebrated event in the Heterican calendar, and the celebration was very loud in both color and sound.

Rose reached out for a food sample a young male Heterican handed out to her. She accepted it with a smile, which the Heterican kindly returned. Rose turned back to the Doctor and grinned happily. However, her smile seemed fake and never reached her eyes. She was obviously still uncomfortable.

The Doctor was nervous. Upset. Angry. He was a great big mixing pot of emotions, some of which even he couldn't decode. After their quiet moment in the Tardis, the Doctor did feel out of place in such a rambunctious setting. What made it worse was how normal everything seemed.

Rose continued to smile.

He continued to ramble.

However, everything was a bit off. Rose kept her distance from the Doctor, not even touching him. She refused to meet his eyes, preferring to let her gaze linger at his chest or his shoes. The Doctor smiled a bit less, his brain hurting from the stress and pressure of the whole situation.

"Doctor, look at that!" Rose cried, pointing to something at the center of the town square. Rose took off running, hoping to see what was so interesting. The Doctor struggled to keep up. Usually, Rose would grab his hand and they'd run together. Obviously, today was different.

"Ah, a traditional Heterican petting zoo," the Doctor said as he arrived a few seconds later than Rose. She was already reaching over the fence, trying to coax a few alien animals closer.

The Doctor slipped his hands on Rose's shoulders, hoping to coax at least a warm smile out of her. Rose, however, simply shrugged his arms away and slid to the right, biting her lip. The Doctor awkwardly stepped forward and ran a hand through his hair.

"Doctor! It is you!" The Doctor whipped around to find a young Heterican male grinning at him sheepishly.

"Arked!" the Doctor said, giving his friend a pat that almost sent the spindly Heterican falling. Thankfully, Arked regained his footing and straightened his straw hat.

"Welcome, Doctor and Rose, to my brother's attraction at the festival," Arked said, bowing deeply. He reached around Rose and opened the gate. "Go in! Go in!"

"Your brother runs this?" Rose asked.

"I thought you were adopted," the Doctor pointed out.

"We are twins," Arked said, waving the Doctor's questioning look away, "He should be around here somewhere. He is- Oh! There! Armed!"

At Arked's loud shouts, a young Heterican male turned around from the cluster of children pulling at his clothes. The alien, presumably Armed, waved excitedly at his brother.

It was easy to tell that Arked and Armed were twins. They were both the same height with long, slender fingers and amphibian-like red skin. Armed grinned at his brother and walked over, his lanky body making him look laid back and relaxed.

Once the two brothers were side-by-side, their differences became more prominent. Arked's skin was lighter, more like the softness of deep velvet cloth. His eyes danced, but they did not have the same excitable, hyper light that flashed in Armed's pupils. Armed was also red, but he was a bright crimson that resembled a ripe apple.

"Hello," Armed said, bowing deeply like his brother had, "My name is Ar'medanielo. You may call me Armed. Welcome to my humble zoo."

"It's wonderful. Are you some kind of zookeeper?" Rose asked.

Armed smiled cheekily. Armed was obviously the more outspoken of the two brothers.

"No. I am a simple farmer. Most of these animals belong in my farm, with the exception of the few more exotic animals. Those are borrowed. I come to town once in a while when we need to sell our wares. The zoo adds a bit more money to our income."

Armed smirked at Rose, holding out a dog-like animal. Rose smiled and reached out to pet the animal. It happily lolled about in Armed's arms, revealing quite a few rows of sharp teeth. Rose gasped and retracted her hand.

"This is Jenseen. Would you like to hold him?" Armed held the animal out to Rose, who instantly ran to grab the Doctor's arm. She stopped herself at the last second, regained her composure, and took a small step back. The Doctor bit his lip from crying out in frustration.

Arked grasped his brother's arm nervously, casting a sorry glance at the Doctor.

"Armed, don't you need to go find your _wife _now?" Arked said. Armed brightened, his eyes dreamily gazing toward the marketplace. The farmer quickly set his animal down, which scampered away, honking like a goose.

"Ah, Satrina, my lovely mate," Armed turned to Rose and gave her a small kiss on the back of her hand, "I must go find my wife. She is watching our vegetable booth. I hope to see you both soon!"

With that, Armed scurried off, his straw hat flying of his head and landing in the grass. Arked merely sighed. He bent down and picked the fallen hat up, brushing the blades off of it.

"My brother is a bit… excitable when it comes to his animals," Arked said apologetically, "The only thing he loves more than his pets is his wife, Satrina. They're here for the festival, but won't be going to the concert. Will the two of you be going?"

Arked looked up at Rose and the Doctor hopefully. Rose turned scarlet and muttered that she was going to go see some of the animals. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Oh Arked. What am I going to do?" the Doctor asked despairingly. He leaned against the wooden planks of the fence and lowered his face into his right hand. Arked unsurely patted the Doctor's back, smiling awkwardly.

"You have not given her the Treesap?"

The Doctor sighed. He reached deep into his pockets and produced the dead flower. More than half of its petals had fallen off, and those that were left had blackened. The Treesap flower's stem was the color of a bad bruise. It was hard to imagine that this flower had been upright and beautiful a few days ago.

Arked took the limp flower from his hands and investigated the flower, its body so wilted that it whipped around like a rag doll as the florist turned the flower around and around in his hands. The Doctor merely shook his head.

"It's dead. I didn't have a chance to give it to Rose," the Doctor explained miserably.

Arked held up a hand, quieting the Doctor immediately. The Heterican continued to rub the dead flower furiously, moving his fingers over the petals, down the stem, and even within the flower.

After a few minutes, the Doctor's eyes widened. The flower was beginning to straighten, its stem slowly becoming light green again. In a few seconds, a rosy pink spread through the veins of the flower. Petals grew back at rapid speeds, making the plant appear whole again. Arked smiled at the Doctor's awed expression.

"A small trick I learned from a friend." Arked held the Treesap flower out to the Doctor, who tentatively took it, as if the plant in his hands was a bomb ready to go off.

"I-It's better! As if it's just been plucked!" the Doctor exclaimed. He whipped out his glasses from his pockets and slipped them on, examining the Treesap flower. It was hardly the dead plant it was minutes ago.

Arked merely shrugged. "It helps me when my flowers don't sell."

"But it's not possible!" the Doctor cried, poking at the flower hesitantly, "It was dead. It didn't have the nourishment the roots provided it! It lacked nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, not to mention the calcium it would've needed to survive. Why, it had no macronutrients at all! How?"

Arked smiled. "Something about Heterican hands retaining any nourishment they touch. Florist hands."

The Doctor stared in awe as Arked wiggled his fingers. They were slightly stained.

"Retaining nourishment," the Doctor muttered. He grabbed Arked's hand and brought it up to his eyes, turning cross-eyed.

"I don't understand. I thought… Oh my… Did what just…" The Doctor stammered over his words, breaking sentences before they even finished.

"Sometimes," Arked said, "things that appear dead aren't. They're just waiting for something to happen that will give them a second chance." Arked looked at the Doctor and cocked his head cheekily. "I suppose it is the same with you and your Rose."

The Doctor stared at Arked, his glasses crooked at an angle on the bridge of his nose.

"Doctor, you love her," Arked said, "Things may look dead now, but Doctor, there's still life. You still have that one second chance." Arked reached his hand out and helped the Doctor close his hand around the stem of the Treesap flower.

The Doctor swallowed thickly.

"Doctor, please give the Treesap to your Rose tonight. Please?"

The Doctor nodded.

"I will."

o.O.o

The air was quite warm as the Doctor and Rose once again joined the procession of people on their way to the concert.

Tonight, it would be a traditional Heterican concert, much like the first night. Of course, the audience wouldn't leave without a small dance, so the conductor of the orchestra had promised everyone that yes, there would be dancing.

Hence, everybody came dressed in formal clothing, unlike the first night. Chairs were set up in the town square so that concertgoers did not have to ruin their clothing by sitting in the grass. People chatted amiably as they waited for the concert to start, milling around the seats or sitting in the chairs.

The Doctor, however, still could not peel his eyes off of Rose. Tonight, she chose to wear a shorter dress. Its light peach color played with the color of her skin, while the orange flowers that dotted the smooth fabric gave her a casual, almost innocent, look.

Rose turned to a young couple to her left and began chatting happily. The Doctor, however, still could not keep his eyes off of Rose. The dress was strapless, meaning every inch of bare skin made the Doctor go ballistic.

The Doctor almost whined when Rose shuffled a bit, his gaze traveling to her legs. The Doctor had always admired Rose's legs, loving their smooth-looking texture and length. Tonight, though, Rose had decided to match her dress with a pair of peach colored heels, and the sight almost made the Doctor's hearts stop for good.

"Doctor, you're staring. Again," Rose said through gritted teeth. Her smile seemed plastic, and her eyes did not dance. Evidently, Rose Tyler was not having a good time at the concert.

"You don't want me here?" the Doctor questioned.

Rose sighed. "Can we please just not talk about it? Please? Just, let me at least try to enjoy tonight, hm?"

"Yeah. Sure," the Doctor said. He mentally slapped himself in the forehead. _What are you, Mister Ace Vocabulary? Wanna go bash your head in a wall? Yeah. Sure. Pfft. _

Soon, the Doctor was lost in his own thoughts, and by the time he'd managed to claw himself out of the depths of his mind, Rose was gone from his side.

The Doctor began to panic. It was a large audience. What if she couldn't find her way back to the Tardis at the end of the night?

Unfortunately, the Doctor was not given the time to find Rose. Within seconds of discovering the loss of his companion, a loudspeaker announced that the concert would be beginning. Even if he wanted to find Rose, he couldn't. The Hetericans fiercely believed in formal concert etiquette when it was required, and running through the people shouting did not match what the Hetericans called manners.

The concert, of course, was magnificent. This time, instead of playing a slow ballad like before, the music was much more upbeat. So many colors flew into the air that the sky looked like the result of a child's art project gone wild.

Shapes and colors spewed from the instruments, making it look like a rainbow was raining. Of course, all of it dissolved before any of the stuff could get on the audience's awed faces. With every burst of color, the audience omitted a sigh of awe and amazement.

The Doctor, however, remained unfazed by all the colors. Heterican concerts had always amazed him. Tonight, however, his mind was on other things. And all of them pointed to Rose.

He wondered how he was going to tell her. He couldn't simply go up to her and say _I love you_, could he? No, no. He was the last Time Lord, and she was his pink and yellow Rose. It had to be right. It had to be miraculous and wonderful and magnificent all rolled into one.

Unfortunately, the right moment seemed to be a bit late, considering the concert was almost over. There would be a dance, yes. Perhaps he could tell her then? If only he could find her by the time the orchestra finished.

The Doctor desperately straightened and tried to look over the heads of the concertgoers, hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde hair in the audience.

"I can't see," someone behind the Doctor hissed. The Doctor turned around to find a dwarf-sized alien sitting in the seat behind him. His skin had an oily sheen to it, and he was very, very orange.

"All the magic is happening in the sky," the Doctor pointed out cheerily, even though is patience was beginning to wear thin, "You don't have to look over my head to see."

The alien merely huffed in the Doctor's face and said, "Sit lower. I want to see."

The Doctor sighed and twisted back around. Of all the people in the audience, he had to pick the seat in front of the pumpkin colored munchkin.

Eventually, the concert ended, and the orchestra was rewarded with enough applause to literally bring a roof down. When the conductor received a microphone from a shy looking girl, the audience roared even louder, for they'd been waiting for this the whole night. With a great flourish, the conductor announced the dancing would begin. He was received with a great cheer of thanks and praise.

Miss Fleming took the stage, dressed in a stunning blue dress and black shoes. The applause was deafening as she accepted the microphone from the conductor.

The second the applause died down, the Doctor dashed off, not caring that he'd knocked his chair over and slammed it into the orange alien behind him.

"Rose!" the Doctor called, confused in the crowd, "Rose!"

Couples were beginning to form now, and the conductor was readying the musicians. There would only be a few moments before the dancing began. There was a flash of blonde hair in the crowd, and the Doctor instantly followed in the same general direction, all the while screaming for his companion. The Doctor was desperate. This was right moment. He _had _to get this right.

"Rose! Where are you?" the Doctor choked, stumbling over someone's foot.

The conductor now stood at the edge of the stage, patiently waiting for a few straggling couples to make their way to the dance floor.

"Rose!" the Doctor screamed. He blindly pushed away the other bodies. In the midst of the shuffling feet, the Doctor thought he saw a leg. A smooth leg with a peach colored shoe. The Doctor followed, feeling hopelessly lost.

The conductor turned around and tapped the end of his baton on his podium, capturing the attention of the musicians. The Doctor cried out for Rose, but the sound caught in his throat and he stumbled, this time unable to catch himself. With a small squeak, the Doctor fell to the grass.

"Is he drunk?" someone asked. There were a few disgruntled replies. The Doctor groaned, not wanting to get up. It was too much. He couldn't take it. Yes, he was feeling a bit light-headed. A bit drunk. The Doctor remained on the grass, feeling confused and lost.

Then, as if by magic, a smooth hand reached for his hand helped him up. The Doctor looked up and saw Rose, smiling a bit. She looked like an angel, with the way she looked down at him, the breeze teasing her blonde hair.

"Rose," the Doctor choked. He quickly stood up and held Rose in his arms. She did not seem so goddess-like now. She watched the Doctor, shocked, as he pulled away from their embrace.

"Rose, dance with me," the Doctor begged.

"Doctor," Rose began, the hurt showing in her eyes. But no. No more. The Doctor would not let Rose doubt.

"Please," the Doctor said, already leading Rose toward the mesh of couples. Rose hesitantly nodded. She followed the other couples and slipped her hands around the Doctor's neck. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose's waist and smiled at her. This was the right moment. He was sure of it.

Just as the Doctor and Rose were comfortably in each other's arms, the music began. A young pianist, accompanied by a few musicians on the chimes, began a soft melody that quickly shushed the dancers. Miss Fleming cleared her throat, and began to sing.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together _

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive _

The Doctor and Rose swayed to the music. At the first three lines of the song, the two shuffled awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do. Was this appropriate? Was this happening? What?

However, by the end of the verse, the Doctor and Rose were just like they were last night, gracefully moving together, making even the best looking couple in the concert look like a duo of pigeons.

_A life goes by _

_Romantic dreams will stop_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close_

Prompted by the music, the Doctor pulled Rose closer, returning her back to her stiff, unsure, and awkward pace. The Doctor calmed Rose, resting his chin on her head and mumbling, "It's all right." After seeing that the Doctor was content, Rose followed suit, becoming the refined couple they were moments ago.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far we are so close _

As the music built in both speed and sound, the silent question between the Doctor and Rose became more prominent. They were both wondering the exact same thing. _Do you want this? _

The music soon climaxed, making the dancers feel as if they were floating on air. The Doctor removed his chin from Rose's head and looked down at her. She looked up at him, a questioning and unsure look in her eyes. She was still hesitant.

_How could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

The Doctor and Rose remained staring at each other as Miss Fleming's voice rose to a loud increase, her emotion seeping through the lyrics. The Doctor and Rose had stopped dancing now.

_How could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy end_

_And almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

As Miss Fleming elongated the last word with a beautiful vibrato, the Doctor and Rose leaned in closer. They were so close.

_So close. _

Their noses were almost touching now. The Doctor felt Rose's breath on his lips.

_So close. _

The Doctor closed his eyes, readying himself. He knew this was the right moment. He knew it.

_And still so far. _

The Doctor agreed with the lyrics. Rose was still not close enough. Without thinking, the Doctor pressed his lips upon Rose's.

There were many great kisses in the world. There were passionate kisses and lustful kisses and even playful kisses. But the kiss between the Doctor and Rose could not be described with a simple adjective. It was epic. Magnificent. It was the kiss the whole universe was waiting for.

The Doctor felt Rose smile into their kiss, and instantly felt his hearts leap for joy. She wanted this. She really, truly wanted this.

The two pulled away from their kiss just as the musicians finished their notes, letting the sound linger in the air for a few moments. Then, as if on cue, the soft sound instantly materialized and became miniature silver stars gleaming in the air. It was not fireworks. It was a soft celebration.

All around the Doctor and Rose, people cheered. Nobody noticed the two beaming at each other, their smiles seeming to say everything at once, yet not enough at the same time.

The Doctor let his forehead touch Rose's. Her skin was warm and inviting. "Rose Tyler, I love you."

"I love you, too, Doctor," Rose replied without hesitance. Finally, the Doctor had stopped the doubt in Rose's heart.

"I meant to give you this," the Doctor said softly. He reached into his pocket and revealed a pink flower. As he handed it to Rose, the petals became deep blood red.

"I thought it'd died," Rose said quietly as she accepted the gift.

"Everything should be given a second chance," the Doctor merely said. He smiled at her.

And Rose smiled back.

o.O.o

"Doctor!" Rose said, laughing, "Shouldn't we at least tell someone we're leaving?"

The Doctor slammed the Tardis door shut behind him, grinning back.

"We're in a hurry," he replied, running up to the console. The Doctor began punching buttons and fiddling with switches, until finally, the Tardis's familiar whirring filled the console room. The Doctor lovingly stroked his ship's console.

"Thanks for being there for me, old girl," he said, grinning.

"Oi! Stop flirting and tell me where we're going!" Rose said, slapping the Doctor on the arm.

"Jealous?" the Doctor asked, grinning mischievously.

Rose simply rolled her eyes, which made the Doctor smile even wider. He leaned in and surprised Rose with a small kiss, making his human squeak in surprise.

"I've just realized what I need to do."

o.O.o

Arked straightened from his flower patches, rubbing his back achingly. His hands were covered with wet dirt, and his clothes needed a good cleaning. The ground, however, was dotted with young flowers ready to be picked. He smiled at his favorite group of blossoms, the young Treesap flowers. Unfortunately, they took some time to grow, and he would not be able to pick them until the Festival of Nuptials came along.

The Heterican florist worriedly gazed at the small pile of dead flowers next to the shed. His business was not doing so well. Although fresh flowers were high in demand, not enough were being bought, and many of his plants had to be thrown away on account of being too old.

"Arked! We're eating!" his twin brother called from the small house on the hill. Arked looked up and waved at Armed, who continued yelling. Chuckling to himself, Arked slipped his gardening gloves off and began to make his ascent to the small house he shared with his brother.

"Hey. Arked." The florist quickly spun around to find a stranger standing at the edge of his plots. Behind him was a blue box, its faint glow adding light to the darkening sky.

"Sorry, sir. I was a bit preoccupied. Are you here to pick up an order?"

"Nah," the man said, looking at the flowers on the ground. His trench coat swung precariously near the fragile plants and Arked winced. He didn't like it when his customers treated the flowers badly, even if it was by accident.

"I wanted to pick some fresh ones," said the stranger, "Can you do that?"

"Of course!" Arked said, surprised. Customers did enjoy picking the flowers themselves, sometimes, but it was late and it was quite a trip from Arked's flower plots to the town without any transportation. Arked wondered how this strange man had managed the trek without even a bike.

"I'll be looking." The man began to wander through the plots, his red shoes making small marks in the wet dirt. Arked watched the man carefully. Was he a robber? A criminal?

"What's with those?" the man asked, pulling Arked out of his curious mind. Arked cocked his head questioningly, and the man nodded to the pile of dead flowers next to the shed.

"Oh… They died," Arked responded stupidly. He did not like admitting his business was failing.

"Flowers not selling so well?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

Arked sighed. "I suppose. I manage by, though."

The man, without asking for permission, stalked over to the small pile. He reached down and picked up a dead Treesap flower.

"Arked, when was the last Festival of Nuptials?" the man asked, not looking up from the limp flower. Arked cleared his throat.

"Two years ago. Why?"

"So the next one is soon," the man said, not answering Arked's question.

"Yes. It comes every other year," replied Arked. The young florist frowned. "Sir, I think you'll have much more success with the fresh flowers. Those will be used for compost."

"Compost, eh?" The man looked up from the Treesap flower and eyed Arked. The Heterican gulped. He had really, really brown eyes.

"Try rubbing the flower," the stranger suggested, handing the dead flower to Arked. The Heterican florist eyed the plant warily.

"What?" he asked.

"Rub the flower. Furiously. Don't stop. You'll like the results." The man smiled at Arked, and to his own surprise, Arked grinned back.

"I will, mister…"

"Doctor," the man said, "Call me Doctor."

With that, the man swaggered away. Arked watched the man leave, bewildered. Then, the man suddenly swung around.

"When I see you at the Festival of Nuptials, don't mention this visit. I don't know who you are." The man smiled at Arked, who swallowed thickly.

"How do you know we'll see each other at the festival, Mr. Doctor?"

"Doctor. Just the Doctor." The man said, not answering Arked's question. He watched Arked expectantly. The young florist didn't move, still confused.

"What're you waiting for?" the man asked, "Start rubbing."

Then, the man walked away.

Arked instantly looked down at the dead Treesap flower in his hands. Its stem was blackened and it had lost almost all of its petals. Arked, now a bit hopeful, began rubbing at the flower furiously.

He ran his muscular fingers up and down the stems, and when that got boring, he slipped his fingers over and between the petals, never stopping. Something about the stranger made him terribly optimistic for the outcome.

Arked gasped as the flower beneath him began to warm. Its stem became a fresh apple green and straightened under his fingers. Petals grew back at a rapid pace, making the flower pink again. Arked, awed, ran his fingers over the Treesap, and gasped when it returned his touch with a dark red hue. It was amazing, yet impossible.

Arked looked up to ask the stranger what witchcraft this was. What had happened? However, when Arked opened his mouth to speak, the man and his blue box was nowhere to be found. Arked was alone in his flower patch.

The florist looked back down at his flower, slightly grinning. The man had seemed nice enough. The Doctor, hm? Was he some sort of wizard? A magician, perhaps?

Arked thoughtfully ran his thumb over the Treesap, its velvety petals making his skin tingle.

It was then that Arked realized he'd never told the Doctor his name.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's the end of The Planet of Colors. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. I honestly never thought anybody would actually bother looking at this, let alone review it. I'd say it was more than successful for my first FanFic.<strong>

**I was planning on making this story longer, but alas, it seemed to end nicely, here, so I thought I'd just close it for now.**

**No worries, though! I have plenty of ideas and am already brainstorming a couple of DW FanFics. However, I will be really busy for the next two months, so don't expect another story until at least February.**

**Again, thank you for journeying with Rose and the Doctor in their travels. I hope you all had fun reading The Planet of Colors.**

**-Helen.**


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